Sacrum support



y 1968 M. E. JOHNSON 3,384,364

SACRUM SUPPORT Filed July 19, 1965 BY M 4 We ATTOR/VE VJ United States Patent 3,384,364 SACRUM SUPPORT Merle E. Johnson, 1417 Carlisle St., Rosenberg, Tex. 77471 Filed July 19, 1965, Ser. No. 473,083 2 Claims. (Cl. 269-328) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A sacrum support adapted for use with an adjusing table to support the lower spinal elements of a patients pelvic region on the adjusting table comprising an upstanding U-shaped support member having an inclined curved surface thereon and having a pair of laterally spaced sides with a spinal alignment member disposed therebetween for supporting the sacrum and pelvic girdle of a patient reclining on the adjusting table.

This invention relates to a sacrum support adapted for use with an adjusting table to support the pelvic region and particularly the lower spinal elements of a patient on an adjustment table.

Adjusting tables currently used are generally fiat tables covered with padding and having movable elements or segments which shift to increase the patients comfort and the doctors facility in treating the patient. A patient prone on such a table is placed in a generally relaxing posture which tends to return bones, muscles, and other organs to a natural or unstrained relationship, one with respect to the other. However, the spinal column is not supported for its full length by a flat surface; a flat surface places the bones, muscles, and other structures of the lower torso region in a strained relationship. This invention is a novel means of eliminating strain in the lower torso or pelvic region and which aligns the spinal and pelvic portion of a patient for adjustment.

An object of this invention is to provide a new and improved sacrum support for use with an adjusting table which aligns the spinal elements of a patient one with the other.

A further object of this invention is to provide a sacrum support which supports the lower spinal elements of a patient prone on an adjusting table so that a force applied to the pelvic region is smoothly experienced along the spinal column of the patient.

An important object of this invention is to provide a sacrum support which bears against the lower back, the sides of the hips, and the coccyx of a patient reclining on an adjusting table to allow bodily elements of said patient to assume a natural relationship as opposed to the stressed relationship existing when placed on an ordinary adjusting table.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from a consideration of the following description and drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a top view of an adjusting table showing the invention positioned to receive and support the patient reclining on the table; and

FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of the invention illustrating details thereof.

In FIG. 1, a patient may position himself 'on the adjusting table with his head resting in a head support 12, his shoulders and upper arms supported by a shoulder support 13, and his torso positioned over the platform 14. While FIG. 1 reveals the general appearance of an adjusting table, a full disclosure regarding the table 10 is contained in copending application Ser. No. 279,836, filed May 13, 1963, now Patent No. 3,226,106, in the names of Merle E. Johnson and Edwin F. Ustynik and entitled, Improvements in Adjusting Tables. The sac- 3,384,364 Patented May 21, 1968 rum support 15 of this invention may be used with a conventional adjusting table but will be described in connection with the form of adjusting table shown in FIG. 1.

The back support designated generally at 15 is located on the forward end of a substantially flat surface 16 on which the patient rests his lower body and legs. The back support 15 includes a central portion which defines a generally wedge shaped lower back brace 17 which is positioned with its end face 18 slightly below the patients waist and its inclined surface 19 centered beneath the patients spinal column.

Side braces 21 are connected to each side of the back brace 17 and extend therefrom upwardly to generally conform to the contour of the patients body. The side braces 21 and the central back brace are provided with a layer 24 formed of foam rubber or other soft material. The surface 19 of the layer 24 is inclined downwardly toward the table since the end surface 18 of the side braces 21 and the back brace 17 extends upwardly from the table on which the support 15 is mounted and terminates at a point above the table. The inner surface 19 of the material 24 is thus contoured generally to the shape of the body of the patient to maintain conforming contact therewith so as to support the pelvic region of the patient. The side braces 21 slope downwardly with respect to the table and terminate at the tips 22 which engage the outer sides of the hips of the patient to align and support the hips and the pelvic girdle. The material 24 extends to the tips 22 to form the generally contoured surface seen in the drawings. FIG. 1 clearly shows that the tips 22 extend beyond the back brace 17 to enclose a surface therebetween designated by the numeral 23.

The portion 23 of the surface 16 is interrupted by a spinal alignment member 30 elevated above the surface 16 by a mounting 31. The spinal alignment member 30 is located on an axis of symmetry of the support 15 which runs centrally of the adjusting table 10; of course, the chosen location naturally derives from the symmetry of the human body about the spinal column. The mounting 31 slopes upwardly to engage the member 30 with the lower, inside portion of the hips to urge the lower spinal elements, sometimes known as the coccyx, into their natural relationship with other body members. The spinal alignment member 30 also centers the lower spinal elements in cooperation with the support 15 to assist in achieving total spinal alignment on the adjusting table 10.

The invention functions in the following manner. A patient reclining on the table 10 is contacted by the lower back brace 17 in the small of the back. The side braces 21 extend the contact of the material 24 outwardly from the brace 17 to the hips to provide conforming contact supporting the hipbones and nearby vertebra of the spine. The support 15 further conforms with the inward curvature of the spine as may be seen from the angular disposition of the surface 24. The area 23 is positioned adjacent the straight portion of the spine to lend support to the central portion of the hips and thence to the straight portion of the spine. The spinal alignment member 30 bears against the lower, inside portion of the hips to pressure the coccyx into its natural curvature. The invention thus assures that the patient aligns himself and particularly his spinal column correctly. Further, the invention imparts proper curvature to the spinal column when a patient rests himself on the table 10. Also, all muscles, bones, and other organs in the pelvic region are supported in a relaxing manner which places such organs in their natural, spatial configuration to remove all unwanted tensions. Application of an adjusting force to the pelvic region is unimpeded by unwanted strains, and the force is smoothly transmitted to the spinal column. The absence of unwanted bodily strains results in increased control over the manipulating forces and greater versatility is allowed the doctor.

Certain alterations made in the invention are within the disclosure herein contained. The support 15 and the alignment member 30 may be associated with appropriate mechanisms to adjust the distance therebetween to accommodate patients having different heights. The support 15 and the mounting 31 might be made tiltable in relation to one another to vary the slope of the surface contacting the patient. Such an adjustment will aid in providing contact with patients regardless of the thickness of their hips and will further aid patients who tend to be sway-backed.

Briefly, this invention is a sacrum support which aligns the body elements in and around the pelvic girdle of a patient reclining on an adjusting table.

What is claimed is:

1. In an adjusting table having a fiat support member for supporting a patient reclining thereon, a sacrum support comprising:

(a) an upstanding U-shaped support member extending transversely of the longitudinal axis of the fiat support member and having laterally spaced side members disposed on opposite sides of said longitudinal axis, and substantially parallel thereto;

(b) said upstanding U-shaped member having an inclined curved upper surface which is curved about an axis that is inclined relative to said flat support member;

(0) a spinal alignment member that is disposed on the flat support member between the laterally spaced side members and which has an upper surface that is inclined downwardly toward said U-shaped support member.

2. The invention of claim 1 wherein said pair of laterally spaced sides of said upstanding U-shaped member slope downwardly toward the flat support member and extend longitudinally thereof beyond the lower end of the inclined surface on said spinal alignment member.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 11/1933 Everson 12869 X 6/1956 Creelman 269-328 

